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 The provision of good quality food and a balanced diet is a high priority at Merchiston, and the School has a reputation for providing some of the best school food in the independent sector in Scotland.
Last week, Sue Lawrence, celebrated chef, writer and Scotland on Sunday cookery correspondent, joined Merchiston for an unannounced visit and School lunch to give her views on the catering.
Sue commented:
"Merchiston food is most definitely miles apart from the 37 pence a day London schools Jamie Oliver has talked about. The choice is good, the taste good with a strong focus on promoting healthy eating with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. The School is lucky to have such a talented team of chefs. This is unusual for school catering. I particularly liked the daily nutritional home-made soup, using up yesterday's leftovers, and the range of good quality breads including the more modern breads like foccaccia and baguette."
When asked what improvements she would recommend Sue suggested:
"I would like to see even more home made scones and cakes, not just for cricket and rugby match teas. This is much cheaper and so easy to bake. You could also use less tinned fruit alongside the fresh fruit in the yoghurt bar. Scotland has one of the best larders in the world so there is no reason why you can't do more sourcing of local produce."
All Merchiston's chefs are trained with the national 7061/2 catering qualification and receive further on-the-job training. They come from a variety of catering backgrounds including hotels. Catering is also offered on the School campus to a wide range of visitors for wedding receptions and corporate hospitality events.
Due to the nature of the School, where seventy percent of boys board, many pupils and staff eat all their meals in the School dining room. This includes breakfast, lunch, tea, supper and snacks. In addition, each of the Boarding Houses has its own kitchen where pupils can prepare their own snacks from fresh supplies provided by the main School kitchen.
According to Merchiston's Headmaster, Andrew Hunter:
"Because the boys do a lot of sports and extra-curricular activities, they have a long, busy day, a good - a well-balanced diet has to be at the centre of school life. We ensure that a high proportion of the food each day is prepared from fresh ingredients on campus.
"We have an on-going programme of investment in the kitchen, and last year, for example, two new soup stations and two salad bars were installed in the servery."
The food on offer includes fresh soup on a daily basis, as well as dishes such as lasagnes and casseroles with many added fresh vegetables. Fresh fruit, cut and whole, and vegetables are available in abundant quantities at all meals. Fresh salad and deli bars are provided at lunch and supper. Natural yoghurt with fruit is also provided. Boys can choose from a range of drinks including natural fruit drinks and milk. Merchiston provides no fizzy drinks and there are no vending machines on campus.
Andrew Hunter added:
"Meals are monitored by staff to ensure each boy consumes a healthy, balanced diet. We often find that boys' eating habits develop and improve as they move up the school. Food forums are held each term so that pupils have a direct opportunity to influence the food. The boys' feedback is usually very positive."
Menu planning at Merchiston follows the Scottish Executive guidelines. Burgers and pizzas are offered only once a week, and burgers have a 90% meat content. Special diets such as Halal are also catered for, and parents are encouraged to come in to discuss special requirements with the Head Chef.
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